Natalie A. Diederich's Obituary
DIEDERICH, Natalie A., age 88, of Kettering, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Sunday, November 17, 2024.
Natalie was born on January 5, 1936, to Eugene C. Conrad and Helen M. (née Crane) Conrad in Dunkirk, New York. She graduated from St. Mary’s High School in Dunkirk, in the class of ’53. While attending high school she enjoyed volleyball, basketball, and cheerleading. As a sophomore in high school, she began dating James N. Diederich. James quickly stole her heart, and they were married on June 2, 1956. After 73 years together and 68 years of marriage, they were still complete soulmates and life-long partners. She was one in a million and an angel on earth.
As she got older she stayed active in sports, especially softball, bowling, and golf. She was an avid UD Flyers basketball and volleyball fan, with her husband. She also loved flower gardening and was a member of the Oak Creek Garden Club for many years. In addition, she always kept a large garden at their home that the entire family helped to maintain. The Diederichs grew a broad selection of vegetables, and they canned their harvest to preserve them for the winter months. She instilled in her children that eating well, and being self-sufficient, was a key to how to live life well. Natalie was a great homemaker and was quite a talented seamstress. She made a lot of her kids’ clothes while they were growing up. She would sometimes create four dresses in a single week. Natalie was also very crafty and enjoyed getting the kids involved in making Christmas ornaments and other items for the annual church bazaar. Natalie will be remembered for being a wonderful wife, mother, sister, and friend. Her husband and children meant the world to her.
Natalie liked having a wholesome girl next door personality and appearance. She was well known for her silly sense of humor and could even be caught making faces every once in a while. She enjoyed shopping, especially when it meant a trip to Rike’s Department Store, Elder-Beerman, or Sears. One of her most cherished memories was a month-long family trip in 1978 to the west coast in a motor home. The many fond memories that were created on the trip were captured via a daily tape recorded audio diary of events, and the 8-track music tapes that they played over and over again remain a strong reminder of those memories.
She was a very active member of the St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Centerville. For over 40 years, she was a pillar of the church and very involved in their activities. She made and repaired the altar cloths, and the baptismal and christening blankets. She was a member of the Money Counters, Bereavement Committee, the Woman’s Club, and the Keenagers group.
Natalie was preceded in death by her parents, Eugene and Helen Conrad; her brother, Bill Conrad; and sister, Carol Martin. She is survived by her beloved husband of 68 years, James; four daughters, Lynn Lambert, Kathy (John) Farr; Jan (Bob) Dieckhoff, and Joyce (Mike) Yokell; one son, Bill (Amy) Diederich; nine grandchildren, Neal, Nick, Laura, Christian, Ray, Gabe, David, Natalie, and Grace; and four great-grandchildren, Gemma, A.J., Zeke, and one on-the-way.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 am Monday, November 25 at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Centerville. Father Brian Phelps will be officiating. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery in Dayton. The family will receive friends from 6 pm to 8 pm on Sunday, November 24 at Conner & Koch Funeral Home in Bellbrook. An additional visitation will be from 9:30 am to 10:30 am on Monday, November 25 at the church, and the family will receive friends for lunch in the church hall after the burial around 1pm. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, and Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton. Condolences at www.connerandkoch.com.
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